Dresden. There is already a mask requirement in buses, trains and shops. But normal fabric masks are soon no longer enough. Saxony’s state government only wants to allow medical masks in public transport and shops. This should be decided in the coming week, so many people are already looking for the necessary FFP2 and surgical masks. Which begs the question: Are there enough masks for everyone and what do they cost? A look at the pharmacies in Dresden.
Which masks exactly are allowed?
For one thing OP masks. They are made of fleeces, which above all protect other people from the droplets that are released when breathing, speaking and coughing. But you are only protected to a limited extent from the droplets of others. So it would be important that everyone wear such a mask.
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There are many savings offers with 100 or 200 pieces on the Internet. The masks are also available for little money in many supermarkets, and of course they are also sold in pharmacies. When buying, you should definitely pay attention to the CE mark and the standard specification EN 14683: 2019 in order to obtain a safe product.
The surgical mask is made of fleece and above all protects the people you meet from your own exhaled droplets. © dpa / Benjamin Nolte
So-called are even safer FFP2 Masks. They not only protect other people, but also offer very good protection for the wearer. To do this, however, they have to be close to the face. The mask should therefore be sucked onto the face when inhaling.
Beard hairs or scars can prevent the tight fit: The only thing that helps here is to shave or try another shape of mask. Also important here: Buyers should pay attention to the CE mark including the four-digit number as well as the specification of the EN 149: 2001 standard.
The FFP2 mask is considered to be the safest – for wearers and for people you meet. © dpa / Friso Gentsch
Alternatively, masks with the identifier K95 or KN95 are also allowed. Although these come from China and correspond to the local standard, they offer a similarly high level of protection as FFP2 masks.
They should also be allowed – masks with the ID K95 or KN95. They come from China and do not meet the German standard, but offer a similarly high level of protection. © dpa / Boris Vergara
Are the masks even available in large numbers?
In fact, many medical masks are now in use. Because surgical masks can only be used once. FFP2 masks can possibly be used several times for a short time, for example if they are also marked with the letter “R”. At least that is the recommendation of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices.
The pharmacy on Postplatz spoke of a rush of customers on Wednesday. “There were already a lot of customers there in the morning after reading the newspaper,” said one employee. The pharmacy has enough masks in stock.
In Sylvia Trautmann’s Bühlau pharmacy on Bautzner Landstrasse, there are also enough medical masks, she said on Wednesday. “The wholesalers have stocked up well and the market is stable.” There was no rush on Wednesday, despite the announced tightened mask requirement.
Cornelia Werner-Goepel, owner of the Parsifal and Johannis pharmacies in Striesen, sees it the same way. However, the business with the mask providers is currently rather “confusing”. This is also due to the right to free masks for particularly vulnerable people. “In the meantime, those entitled to them receive six masks twice in stages for an additional payment of two euros via coupons from their health insurance companies,” says Cornelia Werner-Goepel.
She expects a rush if AOK policyholders – a large proportion of the older Dresden residents – have received the coupons shortly. In addition, there is the tightened mask requirement. According to the pharmacy owner, she cannot yet foresee how both will affect availability. “At least at the moment we are well stocked and are almost inundated with delivery offers,” says Werner-Goepel.
Katja Scarlett Daub describes her three city pharmacies in Dresden as well stocked. Every pharmacist who has been paying close attention to what was happening recently knew what was coming, she says. The range has also been significantly increased because of the health insurance coupons.
Can I be sure that I am not buying a counterfeit?
Your pharmacies would rather have the problem that you have to differentiate between reputable and dubious providers, Cornelia Werner-Goepel. This is not always easy, even for pharmacists. You only have FFP2 masks with CE certificate and EU-compliant surgical masks on offer. This should give the customer the necessary security. “For many people it is difficult to see through the market,” the pharmacist continues. That is why she recommends buying the masks on site. Even if she doesn’t want to rule out that there are also good masks online.
Katja Scarlett Daub also emphasizes that she only sells certified FFP2 masks and medical surgical masks.
How expensive are the masks?
FFP2 masks are more expensive than surgical masks, the unit price is between three and seven euros, depending on the provider. “The market is fluctuating a lot,” says Katja Scarlett Daub. She is currently selling a set of ten FFP2 masks for 30 euros, ten surgical masks cost six euros.
The pharmacies do not rate the unintended reuse of the masks quite as strictly. “With the right care, if I hang the FFP2 mask on the clothesline for several days or dry it in the oven at 80 degrees, I can use it again,” says Daub.
Then every normal citizen who does not have to wear a mask all the time at work can come with seven to ten masks over the next few weeks. This is also due to the fact that the wearing time of FFP2 masks of up to eight hours – if you take breaks – is significantly longer than with surgical masks.
If you only wear the mask for ten minutes in the supermarket or on the train, you can also use it multiple times, says Sylvia Trautmann from the Bühlauer Apotheke. The mask you wear should, however, be packed dust-proof and not be used for too many days. “Otherwise bacteria will collect in the mask and the filter will no longer work.”
Can I get cheaper masks online?
A check of several online retailers on Wednesday did not reveal an acute shortage of FFP2 masks, but customers hardly have a choice. The Rossmann online shop lists six different products, but five of them are currently out of stock, they say. In terms of price, most FFP2 masks cost two euros each.
Surgical masks, on the other hand, were sold out. Some of the disposable masks that can still be ordered from the drugstore chain look like surgical masks, but upon closer inspection of the product description, they do not have a certificate as a medical product. And: The surgical masks cost between 49 and 69 cents each if they could be purchased. Simple disposable masks are available for 44 cents.
At Doc Morris mail-order pharmacy, getting a safe medical mask delivered to your home is proving to be even more difficult. The retailer currently only offers two different screens, at least that is what the product search shows. One offer includes 50 disposable masks, which are entitled “mouth and nose covering”. These also look like surgical masks. But the mandatory standard specification is missing. Even the low price of 40 cents a piece doesn’t help. FFP2 masks were no longer in stock at the mail-order pharmacy as of Wednesday lunchtime.
A price comparison in pharmacies, drugstores and online shops is certainly worthwhile. However, you should be suspicious of very cheap offers.
Is a free mask handover for everyone under discussion?
There was heated discussion on social networks, including the price of masks and the consequences for people who purchase Hartz IV. The Dresden Greens parliamentary group leader Agnes Scharnetzky emphasizes, “Only giving out FFP2 masks free of charge for people with low incomes fails to recognize that it quickly becomes a big item in families with absolutely no income.” Consequently, there should be a free levy for people of all ages with no income.
Her Green City Councilor Andrea Mühle writes on Twitter: If we really have to wear medical (including surgical) masks and fabric masks are no longer allowed, the first time during the pandemic I get to the point that I say: What is this and what what about the garbage? ”
SPD city councilor Richard Kaniewski finds the decision in favor of the masks understandable, but calls for a quick and pragmatic solution for people with low incomes. “That mustn’t become a social question, I would like the municipality to buy masks and distribute them to people with little income, perhaps linked to the Dresden Pass.” (with dpa)
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